Welding apparatus



June 6, 1944. H. A. alssoUT Erm.

WELDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1939 June 6, 1944.

H. A BlssouT ErAL WELDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1944. H. A. BlssoUT ET AL WELDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l5, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 6, 1944 WELDING APPARATUS Herbert A. Bissout, Merchantvllle, N. J., and William Y. Borresen, Philadelphia, Pa., signora to W. K. Mitchell & Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 13, 1939, Serial No. '308,974

l'cl. '1s-s4) 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for butt welding of metal pipe, or plate, at a welding groove or scarf provided by the opposing formed edges of pipe, or plate, positioned for welding.

The process claims originally contained in this application form the subject matter of our dl- Yvisional application, Serial No. 355,578, filed-Sertember 6, 1940, for Welding process.

The weld members are formed at their weld edges optionally as -in the prior art to provide a usual weldgroove between the weld members and with thin opposing lips along the base of the weld groove.

A purpose of the invention is to secure a better weld between the lips and to avoid fins from the welded lips inward.

A further purpose is to avoid theA presence of welding rod metal in the portion of a welded transverse pipe joint which contacts the medium carried by the pipe, thereby insuring that the medium comes in contact only with metal of the composition of the pipe itself, with consequently increased corrosion resistance of the welded Joint.

A further purpose is to use a pyrometer-control in the pressure welding of the lips of lip-tolip weld members to be united above the lips by arc welding.

A further purpose is to heat the lips to welding temperature by combustion from an annular burner surrounding the lips, suitably an oxy-l acetylene burner.

A further purpose is to oscillate oirotate an annular burner surrounding and heating the lips, oscillating or rotating in the plane of the weld groove.

A further purpose is to mount a supply of fuel for an annular burner upon a rotatable carrier of the burner.

side weld groove, the views showing successive stages of welding, respectively after placement of the weld members for lip welding, after lip welding and after completion of arc welding.

Figures la, 2a, 3a are views corresponding respectively to Figures 1, 2 and 3 but showing the invention applied to welding pipe at an inside weld groove. f

Figures 1b, 2b, 3b, lc, 2c, 3c and 1d, 2d and 3d are longitudinal plane sections which illustrate our invention applied to a few of many diii'erent forms of weld grooves. 'I'he subscripts b, c and d show respectively different forms of outside weld grooves, each intended to be either an inside groove or an outside groove or a groove along either side of thick plates, but it is thought that in practice each will more usually comprise an outside weld groove of thick pipe weld members. Figure 4 is ,a diagrammatic longitudinal view illustrating apparatus for butt welding pipe members and with electric flash heating of the lips. Figure 5 is an enlarged scale fragmentary view yintended to show somewhat diagrammatically structure forplpe welding with burner heating of the lips.

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sections showing a suitable burner in guide relation to somewhat different forms of weld grooves.

A further purpose is to provide novel structure for sequentially heating thelips ,to welding temperature and feeding the weld members into one another for pressure welding the lips, preferably with a pyrometer control of the degree of heating and/or of the pressure feeding of the weld i members one into the other.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

We have elected to illustrate the invention in a few only of its many forms; selecting forms however that are practical and eiiicient in operation and which well illustrate the principles involved.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are fragmentary longitudinal sections illustrating the, application of our invention in welding a pipe at a conventional out- Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional fragment that may be either of Figure 6 or of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation, in part section, of the structure of Figure 8 showing spaced burner nozzles and a tubular mount for Va pyrometer to show the degree of heating of they opposing lips.

Figure 10 is a reduced scale elevation of a different way of applying and using our divided burners, showing the burners at a weld groove with one of the divided burners not yet closed to its heating position.

Figures 1l and 12 are respectively a longitudinal section and a transverse section which illustrate partly diagrammatically ya diierent structure in accordance with the present invention, with structure for pressing the lip-to-lip members together and showing diagrammatically a pyrometer control of the degree of lip heating and of the start of pressure welding of the lips.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all iigures.

Describing in illustation and not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In electric arc butt welding of thick pipes, pipe fittings, valves or thick plates the weld members are first formed with thin projecting lips along their wem edges m such manner'as to provide a weld groove or scarf between the members whenv lip. v

In vthe past the members have beenl placed for vwelding with a slight spacing between the op-A DOSinE lips'. l

In .the arc welding process the whole weld groove is progressively lled with electrode metal and hitherto one, ofthe dilculties has been with the mitieiarc welding or the lips. If weld memthe members are positioned for welding, lip-tobers are placed initially with the lips in contact,

lthe weld between the lips is quite imperfect and when,as hitherto more usual, the weld members are placed with lthe lips somewhat spaced from one another, there is togless extentv the same trouble'with an added trouble ofdownward fins forming below' the lips.

.Where the arc welding of the lips has` beenl imperfect, this has resulted in weakening the A further: advantage of the weld of Figures l to3 is that the metal exposed to the medium in the pipe (at thebottom of the weld in Figures l vto 3) isjall of the same composition, the composition of the original pipe. Nov exposure 'of welding 'rod metal to the medium in the pipe is possible. This avoids zones of changing metal composition exposed to the medium which may 5 -become foci of corrosion.

The weld of the type of Figures 1 to 3 is par,- ticularly useful in piping intended for extremely high pressures and temperatures, such as high pressure steam piping `and flttingsfoil cracking equipment,- and chemical process equipment. It is also desirable for oil and gas pipe lines and` for" general piping. l

While more usuallythere is an easier access for welding along an outside as distinguished jointand providing a focus for corrosion or cause damage to moving parts. v

One of the main objects of the present invention is to avoid these difilculties by providing mechanism for pressure welding the lips without adding electrode weld metal prior to welding ing rod, suitably from an arc welding electrode.

In Figure 1 the weld 'members 20 and 2| are shown vin weld position with their edges formed for welding. In accord with our invention the weld lips 22 and 23 at the bottom of the weld groove 24 are uniformly heated to welding temperature. They are then pressure welded together by feeding the members 20, 2| one' into the other, providing the result indicated in Figure 2 where the opposing lips have united along their length with slight outwardandinward bulgings 25 and 26.

able procedure to maintain the preheating temperature during intervals in welding of alloy steel, or any other suitable metal.

Several distinct advantagesl are apparent in the weld of Figures 1 to 3. No flnning is likely to occur, as no added weld metal is present in the welding of the lips, and the lips will not be heated until their metal is very fluid as was the case when it was desired to penetrate welding rod metal between the lips. The lips simply are heated to jwelding temperature and pressure applied transversely of the weld to cause fusion welding of the lips by their own metal. The danger of incomplete welding of the lips through uneven penetration of weld metal between the lips, which is always present in electric arc welding ofthe lips, is entirely lacking in the weld of Figures 1 to 3. Sumcient longitudinal movementA of the weld members will take place to cause thorough uniting of the lips at the most widely separated point, in case there is any unevenness of contact between 'the lips prior to the weld..

from anA insideweld groove, the reverse is sometimes true. Havingshown an outside weld groove in Figures 1', 2 and 3, we show -an inside groove Q 24a in Figures la, 2a and 3a; our welding oper,-`

the main thickness of the joint by beads of weldation being as already described.l

The contour of weldI groove may be widely varied, for example, to suit different special conditions or views. The weldgroovel may, for example, have one or v'more steps as indicated by the step 28 in Figures 1b, 2b and-3b. The stepped groove in general secures a greater weld area and perhaps.. therefore, a stronger union than the unstepped groove.

, The weld lips may be formed to extend beyond the contour of the weld members thickness, as indicated at 22a and 23a, Figures 1c, 2c and 3c. While this has some advantage in the arc Awelding of the prior art, since the more perfect welding above the lips 'extends for the full thickness of the members, it is of less advantage when welding by our processbecause our more perfect welding of ythe lips secures the'needed'strength Without going beyond the .thickness of the weld members.

Usually the small outward bulging 26, Figure 2,

A (outward with respect to the weld groove, in-

ward with respect to the pipe), resulting from pressure welding the lips, is too small to matter. Sometimes, however, it may be considered pref- `erable to avoid outward bulging beyond the thickness line of the weld members and in this event we may form the lips to be initially slightly above the thickness line of the weld. Thus in Figure 1d the lips 22h and 23h have been so formed that in welding position prior to welding they bend upwardly or inwardly, at 29, -With the intent that after pressure welding their downward or outward bulging at 29' will then be merely even or nearly even with the bottom line of the weld members.

The lips may be formed as shown in Figures lc and 1d by first manufacturing a welding groove as shown in Figure la and then deforming the lips to the shape shown in Figure 1c or 1d.

In the broader aspects of the. invention, the weld lips are uniformly heated in any suitabl way for pressure welding.

Figure 4 is intended Afor a diagrammatic showing of our apparatus for butt welding large pipe sections 20 and 2|, and using electric resistance heating or so-called flashing of the opposing lips prior to pressure welding the lips together.

The weld members 20 and 2| are presented to one another lip-to-lip in welding position by conductor chucks 30 and 3|. These chucks are electrically connected through heavy conductors I2 source of current, the current of the secondary passing through the weld members and the lips, heats the lips to welding temperature with considerable uniformity throughout the circumference.

As indicated an electrical pyrometer 36 connected by wires 33'1to an indicator-relay 31 is presented toward the heating lips to show whe'n,

they are at welding heat. The indicator-relay 31,

when closed, connects an electrical screw-jack 33v by wires 38' Vto a source of ,current to operate the jack and bring pressure on the lips. The jack includes leftand right-screws 382 oppositely threaded into the chucks 30 and 3|. When the lips are heated to welding temperature, the chucks 30 and 3i are relatively fed a short distance'towardone another as bythe jack 33, thereby completing the pressure welding of the lips. The primary circuit vof the transformer is opened desirably as soon as the jack operates to apply pressure to the weld. After pressure welding the lips, the weldvrod welding, suitably electric. arc welding, for the main portion of the weld thickness, is proceeded with in any suitable o r conventional manner, progressively filling the groove 24 with beads of weld rod metal. A conventional arc electrode of the covered type is shown at 39.

The form of Figure 4 has the distinct advantage over the usual type of flash welding that relatively inexpensive equipment may be employed, for the equipment need not be capable of heating the entire weld section to welding temperature, but only capab of heating the thin lips (which may be even th ner than shown). 'This feature is advantageous not only in reducing the cost of the welding equipment, but also in making it possible to weld thick sections by portable flash welding equipment.

Figure 5 is intended to illustrate diagrammatically combustion heating mechanism extending annularly around the Weld groove. The weld members and 2| and chucks 30 and 3l may be in the main as described for Figure 4, except that there is no need for the chuck members to be electrical conductors and the housing structure of one of the chucks has been -extended at 43 to support crank structure for angularly shifting the burner.

As shown, an annular burner 4I intended to comprise oppositely diametrally movable semicircumferential portions, is mounted to surround and rotate along the weld groove 24 and in suitable guide relation with the groove.

The burner 4I presents a succession of relatively spaced burner nozzles 42 directed inwardly upon the lips. The opposing semi-circumferential portions 43 and 43 of the burner are mounted on corresponding carrier members 44 and 45 on opposite sides of one face of a Wheel member 4S adapted to turn loosely on one of the weld pipes 23f or 2|'. As illustrated, fuel tanks 41 and 48 for each semi-circumferential burner 43 or '43' are intended to be supported on the corresponding carrier memberl 44 or 45 and a pyrometer 36 is intended to be supported on one of the semicircumferential burners 43 and 43', with the of the chuck 33.

wheel 48.

Duringthe heating operation the burner is rotated in the plane of the annular groove causing the flames-at the nozzles 42 to follow one another around the groove, thereby avoiding the .effect of inequalities of operation at the different nozzles and securing throughout the length of the lips more uniform heating than would be readily possible without rotation or oscillation of the burner.

When the welding temperature has been reached suitably as indicated bythe reading of the pyrometer 33', the chuck members 3D and 3l' maybe fed toward one another as already described, by a suitablelack as shown in Figures ll and l2, optionally wit-hout interrupting the, operation of the annular burner` until completion of the pressure welding.

When pressure welding is complete, the semicircumferential burners 43 and '43' are backed off from opposite sides of the weld groove by metal.

pyrometer indicator 31 on the corresponding carrier 44 or 45. The wheel 46 is intended to be rotated during operation of the burner, by means.

of a hand crank 43 on a shaft 49 journaling at operating hand wheels S3-on opposite sides of the wheel 46 and the whole wheel structure with the burners is then shifted along the gear ll, thereby carrying the burner away from the weld groove to beout of the'way of arc welding. The arc welding operation is then Aperformed as already described, using arc electrodes to progressively fill the weld groove with electrode Instead of arc welding, acetylene weldrod welding can be used to ll the groove 24.

It will be seen that each of the hand wheels 53 is mounted ona shaft 54 journalingin a lug 55 of thecarrler 44 or 45 and is operatively connected by bevel gears 5S and 51 with a screw 53 journaling in a lug59' of the carrier and downwardly threading at 60 into the wheel structure.

It is intended to use any suitable burner and that illustrated in Figures 6, 'Land 8 is intended to comprise semi-circumferential sections that together surround the weld-pipes at the weld groove in suitable close relation to the Weld lips.

Each section 43 or 43' comprises outerA and inner semi-circumferential compartments 6I and 62 for the gases for combustion. Using oxyacetylene combustion, the outer compartment 6l, for example, may be for acetylene and the inner compartment 62 for oxygen, these gases ator` then using, however, longer flexible con.

nections to the burner and oscillating the burner back and forth during heating instead of turning the burner continuously in a single direction. The burner will move in an arcuate path 4following the weld lips, whether it be oscillated or rotated.

Each burner nozzle 42 comprises cooperating units 63 and 64 Ladjust'alzdy threading outer and inner walls 35 and 36 respectively of the burner and each unit 63 and-64 adjustably controlling the admission of acetylene or of oxygen to the nozzle.

The unit 63 comprises a nipple 61 closed at its outer end, adjustably threading the cuter wall 65 of the burner and adapted to adjustably close its innerl end 68 against the wall 63 separating The shaft 43 carries a long gear 5l in mesh with spur teeth -52 of the the burner compartments 8|' and 82. The outwardly closed nipple`81 carries an inner/tube 10 that is open at both ends and is supported spaced A from the inner wall of the closed nipple 81. by

suitable longitudinal ns 1|. The downwardly directed open end ofthe inner tube makes a sliding. lit through. the division wall 69 of the i burner.

The acetylenefrom the outer'compartment 8| enters the outer unit 99 near the division wall of the. burner, in amount adiustably determined by the position of the unit 68 with respect to the outer wall of the burner. The acetylene passes upwardly outside the inner tube 10 into the upper end of the inner tube to downwardly discharge at the lower end of the inner tube into 'oxygen that is. adiustably admitted into the upper end In Figure 6 the burner carriesa suitable number of brackets 19 of which one onlyis shown.

Thesebrackets make slidingt on one of the upper or outer corners of the weld groove.

In rFigure 7 the-burner at its inner corner is provided with a suitable number of`lugs 14, of

which one onlyis shown, and Vwhich lu'gsv make sliding flt with a step 15 'of the weld groove.

The\ burner in operating position is in guide relation with the weld groove, extending into the groove but with a clearance at 18 to permit the relative feeding of the weld members one into the other for completion of pressure welding prior to the removal of the burner.

In the structure of Figure 5 the semi-circular burner' units are moved to and from operating positions rectilinearly by the operation of the hand wheels 53 on carriers of the burners. This involves considerable structure although it permits ve'ry convenient' operation of the burner and an easy shifting .of the burner as soon as the pressure weldingf has been completed.

We illustrate in Figures V9 and 10 that much of this structure may be dispensed with. The semicircular burner units fitting around `the Weld groove are there at one side provided with loo'se hinge spurand loop connections 11, 18 and atthe hannes, each unit being provided Iwith a stung 84 of well known character providingan inlet 881:0 the outer compartment of the burner and an inlet 88\ to the inner compartment thereof. The tting4 84'is intended to be vany suitable fitting offering' one connection intothe outer compartment of the burner and the other connection into the inner compartment thereof.

' The pyrometer 8| is intended to be removably intended to be any chuck suitable for adequately I gripping the pipe, but as shown comprises a divided wedge bushing 90 inside a taper bore 9| of the supportingstructure. 'I'he structure 88 is provided with hydraulic cylinders 92 at uni-` formly spaced intervals, thre cylinders being shown.y The hydraulic rams 9 for these cylinders are on rods 94 that carry at their other ends 'back of heads 95, chuck supporting structure 96, the chuck being shown generally similar tothat on the main s upport. A divided wedge bushing 90 surrounds and clamps the pipe, outwardlyf engaging a taper interior 9| of the supporting `structure 96; The supports 88 and 96 'of the two chuck members are relatively insulated from one another electrically by insulating collars 91 between the shafts 94 and the structure 96. A pyrometer 98, optionally of thermocouple type, is shown directed into the weld groove and preferably in contact with the lips, to determine the degree of heating of the lips, and intended optionally alsowto control thereby the operation other side are provided with handles 19 and 80.

for manual oscillation of the combined burners after they are in position around the groove.

As seen in Figure 10 the burner units are in partial `assembly, one of the units, the upper unit, having been placed -in the weld groove and the other unit having been then connected to it loosely at its ends away from the handles, a

spur 11 on the end of the upper unit receiving a loop projection 18 of the lower unit. The

handles are to be then closed one upon the other, preferably after lighting the lower burner; which will permit the automatic lighting of the upper burner by the hand oscillation of the two burn- After the handles are together they are of pressure Welding.

As illustrated, electrical connections at 99 and pipe ends to the desired degree, and the switch |03 remains closed as long as the pipe tem' prature is above'the minimum preheat tem` perature.

After or when the lips heat to welding temperature, the pyrometer operates a suitable combined switch and relayl |03' to shut oil? or moderate the energy from the transformer. As illustrated, the pyrometer 98 also operates a second combined switch and relay |032, which controls a hydraulic vallve |05 for the admission of suitably high pressure iiuid, as water or oil, into the hydraulic cylinders 92,.

The pyrometer 99 operates the mercury switch in the switch and relay structure |032 to energize an electric magnet having a pole |09 adapted to shift the hydraulic valve element |01. When this valve element moves upwardly in Figure l1, the high pressure source |08 is connected through the valve and flexible connections |09 to the left side of the hydraulic cylinders 92, while the right.

side of the cylinders is at the same time conto others skilled in the art, to obtain all nested to exhaust through tubes H0, the valve N and the tubing I il from the valve.

The hydraulic rams in operation shift to the right until ibrought to rest by adJustable stops ||2 at the right ends of the cylinders. The degree of movement is made that for effective pressure welding of the lips.

The electrical heating will by this time normally have stopped, either by an automatic control from the pyrometer as shown, or by manual operation, and bymeans of opening the circuit of the primary of the transformer. 'I'he are welding operation is now proceeded with in the usual manner, iilling the weld groove progressively with weld metal as already explained.

In view of our invention and disclosure variations and modiiications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident `or part of the beneits of our invention without copying the structure shown, and we, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In butt welding of weld members having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove between the weld edges of the members, employing means for pressure welding the lips by lpressing one member endwise toward the other, the combination of an annular burner having spaced burner outlets whose ends extenc'` into the weld groove and are directed upon the lips and means for withdrawing the ends of the burner outlets from the groove before completing the endwise pressure application.

2. In butt welding of tubular weld members having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove between the weld edges of the members, employing means for pressure welding the lips by pressing one member endwise toward the other, the combination of an annular burner having burner outlets directed upon the lips at intervals of the groove length, and means for shifting the burner longitudinally of the groove for more uniform heating of the lips, the burner being guided against the weld member by contact with a wall of the. groove.

3. In butt welding of Aweld menmers having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove, employing means for pressure welding the lips by pressing one member endwise toward the other, the combination of an annular burner support guided on the weld groove and a burner on the support having burner outlets extending into the weld groove for heating the Opposing lips.

4. In mechanism for butt welding pipes and the like having a welding groove at their meeting ends with cooperating lips at the inside or the welding groove, an annular burner consisting of a plurality of segments, means for holding the segments-in cooperating relation, means for adiustably radially positioning the segments and holding them in adjusted position, a plurality of arcuately positioned burner Jets on each burner segment and means for supplying ruel'and air separately to the jets of each segment.

5. In mechanism for butt welding 'pipes having a welding groove at their meeting ends with cooperating lips at the inside of the welding groove, an annular burner having a plurality of circumferentially spaced jets directed upon the lips, the jets being arranged in a plurality of separate groups. and means for adjustably moving the groups radially with respect to the welding lips and for holding the groups in any adjusted position to bring the jets to bear upon the welding lips at the inside of the groove with the proper spacing therefrom and to remove the jets from the Way in the welding groove.

6. In mechanism for butt welding pipes having a welding groove at their meeting ends with cooperating lips at the inside of the welding groove, an annular burner having a plurality of circumferentially spaced jets directed upon the lips, the jets being arranged in a plurality of separate groups, means for adjustably moving the groups .radially with respect to the welding lips and for holding the groups in any adjusted position to bring the jets to bear upon the welding lips at the inside of the groove with the proper spacing therefrom and to remove the iets from the way in the welding groove, and means for are ly moving the jets to increase the uniformity of heating the lips.

7. In butt welding of pipe weld members having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove, the combination of arcuate burner sections together adapted to surround the 'lips for heating the lips to welding temperature, means for bringing the arcuate burner sections into circular relationship. a wheel support for the burner sections mounted on the pipe itself with freedom for turning movement and means for turning the support about the pipe axis. l

8. In butt welding of pipe weld members having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove, employing means for pressure welding the lips by pressing one member endwise toward the other, the combination of divided arcuate burner sections together adapted to surround the lips for heating the lips to welding temperature, a wheel rotatable on one of the pipe mem-bers, and mounts for the arcuate burner sections on the wheel adjustable toward and away from the pipe and adapted to stay in any desired adjusted position.

9. In butt welding of -pipe weld members having thin opposing lips together forming the bottom of a weld groove, employing means for pres- .sure welding the lips by pressing one member endwise toward the other, the combination of divided arcuate burner sections together adapted to surround the lips for heating thelips to welding temperature. a wheel rotatable on one of the pipe members, mounts for the arcuate burner sections on the wheel adjustable toward and away from the pipe and adapted to stay in any desired adjusted position, and a fuel drum on one of the mounts for supplying fuel to the burner sections.

HERBERT A. BISSOUT. WHLIAM Y. BORRESEN. 

